If you own an Xbox, an Xbox Game Pass subscription
is almost mandatory. The service, which costs $10 to $15 a month, not only includes a large, ever-changing catalog of games to download and play, but also includes access to online multiplayer services. The $15 Game Pass Ultimate tier adds PC games and cloud gaming which works on consoles, computers, phones and tablets.
Read more: The best gaming subscription services
Unlike the otherwise-similar ones PlayStation Plus subscription service, Game Pass includes a large number of high-profile new games at launch, such as Halo Infinite, and will include new Bethesda games such as those from 2023. Starfield. PlayStation Plus largely focuses on older game catalog.
For PC gamers, Game Pass is not so mandatory. PC gamers can access games from online stores like Steam and the Epic Game Store, and cloud options from Nvidia GeForce Now to Amazon Luna (sorry, Google Stadia). But it does offer the ability to pick up some games and play them on both PC and console, syncing your progress along the way.
Read more: The best cloud gaming services
If you’re on the fence about Game Pass or just looking for some suggestions on what to play, below are some recent and classic favorites on the service. Of particular note at the moment are A Plague Tale: Requiem, which is a sequel to a much-lauded indie game, and Chivalry 2, a competitive medieval multiplayer game that I’m getting a kick out of. The HR-inspired Giger Scorn is a great example of a great-looking game that’s great to try out through Game Pass, but you probably wouldn’t want to pay full price.
New and remarkable
Latest hits
Obligatory classics
Choice for PC games
We will update this list with new additions and new staffing suggestions. You can also check out our selection for the best games on PlayStation Plus.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Game Pass has evolved far beyond its Xbox-bound origins to become a subscription that provides something for everyone who plays games, and now includes console and PC game downloads, access to online multiplayer services, a deal with the gaming giant EA and a cloud-based service that streams games to almost any device.
Microsoft offers several versions, but because of the way features are split between them, only the $15 per month Ultimate plan, with all the benefits detailed above, really makes sense. Read our Xbox Game Pass review.